


The Way You Smile

by helens78



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Mansion Fic, Smile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-19
Updated: 2012-08-19
Packaged: 2017-11-12 10:37:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/489961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helens78/pseuds/helens78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles is incredibly fond of the way Erik smiles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way You Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Canon-ish fic, set during the mansion days. For [Cotton Candy Bingo](http://cottoncandy-bingo.dreamwidth.org), prompt "smile". I pay so much attention to Charles's smile that I thought it might be fun to go the other way for once. :)

It's a terrible thing to encourage Erik when he does things like this, when he pushes one of the younger mutants before they're ready, but the smile on Erik's face after he pushes Sean off the top of the satellite dish-- when Sean _flies_ for the first time, through the strength of his own ability--

If they were alone, Charles would take Erik's hand. He thinks Erik would let him. As it is, they stand on the top of the dish, Hank beside them taking notes, and all Charles allows himself is the briefest brush of their knuckles, the back of his hand against Erik's. Erik turns to Charles, and his smile holds so much more than amusement now. It's full of pride, satisfaction, community. For the first time in too long, Erik's home.

"I had him, you know," Erik says later. Ostensibly they've all retired to bed, to their separate bedrooms. In reality, Erik is here with Charles, the same as he's been every night since they came to the mansion. Erik has a room, but it's there for appearances' sake.

"The harness," Erik adds, when Charles says nothing. Part of the reason he's saying nothing is because Erik's taking off his shoes, tucking the laces inside, slipping them under the side of the bed. His socks come off next, and he smiles again as he curls his toes against the rug.

Those smiles. It's a wonder Charles is managing to help anyone with their training at all.

"All those buckles. I could hold up an elephant with a harness like that." Erik glances over at Charles, smiling, _smiling_. "Or at least I think I could. Now."

"Sean does weigh a _bit_ less than an elephant."

"A bit." Erik raises his eyebrows. "I take it I'm forgiven?"

"You're forgiven by _me_." Erik wasn't entirely wrong when he'd told Charles, _What? You know you were thinking the same._ "Sean might be a bit nervous around you for a while."

"I can live with that." It's not a smile so much as a smirk now, but Charles still finds himself drawn across the room, reaching up to cup Erik's cheek in his hand. Erik tilts his head down into that touch.

It's a different smile entirely when Erik looks back up at him. He's radiating warmth and light. A contentment Charles knows he's seldom felt.

Charles can make people forget faces, make them fall asleep, change their minds about important things, but making Erik happy... making Erik _smile_. Charles doesn't think he's ever done anything quite that monumental before, and it wasn't with telepathy. It's _him_.

"There's something I keep wanting to tell you," Charles says.

"What's that?" Erik brings his hand up to cover Charles's, turns his face so he can press a kiss to the inside of Charles's palm. He strokes a finger over Charles's watchband, and the steel clasp comes loose, the watch slipping free so Erik can place his next kiss on the inside of Charles's wrist.

"I love the way you smile," Charles says. He can feel Erik's lips curve up against his wrist.

"Just the way I smile?" Erik unbuttons Charles's sleeve and pushes it up his arm, leaving kisses up the inside of his forearm. Charles can still feel the way he's smiling; he can still sense Erik's emotions, warm and happy. Some of that's for the day, for the progress they've made with the other mutants and their training... but most of it is for Charles, for right now.

"A bit more than that," Charles whispers. "Come here."

Erik lets Charles's arm go and moves up, his arms going around Charles's waist as Charles winds his around Erik's neck. Erik kisses him, and Charles feels the brush of Erik's thoughts against his, like hearing locks unbolt and a door swing open. He dives in, tongue sliding into Erik's mouth as his mind slips into Erik's thoughts.

«It's the same for me,» Erik thinks.

Charles almost laughs; he manages to hold back that impulse, but he deepens the kiss, moaning softly against Erik's mouth before diving in again. «Just the way I smile?»

«A bit more than that,» Erik sends in return, and then they're done talking for the night.


End file.
